Emerging Dynamics Between India―China Relations since 18th BRICS Summit: A Zero-Sum Game
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Emerging Dynamics Between India―China Relations since 18th BRICS Summit: A Zero-Sum Game
Anisa Reddy
Emerging Dynamics Between India―China Relations since 18th BRICS Summit: A Zero-Sum Game
Anisa Reddy
The Indo-Pacific, as the most dynamic international region in the world, continues to experience geopolitical and geostrategic shifts. Several minilateral cooperations formed as the representation of the region, such as BRICS.
BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and later on South Africa. It was formalized at the first meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York in 2006. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and UAE became full members in January 2024. Three Southeast Asian countries joined the BRICS, such as Indonesia in 2025 as the member, with Malaysia and Vietnam as partner countries in 2024 and 2025 respectively.
Bringing together eleven major emerging markets and developing countries in the world, BRICS bears over 49.5% of the population and 40% of GDP, serving as a platform for consultation and cooperation on contemporary global political and economic issues.
The leaders of BRICS gather in New Delhi for the 18th BRICS Summit under the theme: “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President Xi Jinping on 12 September 2026. This is the expanded India-China bilateral relations since their last meeting in Tianjin in August 2025, giving India and China a high-profile in-person interaction to signal reconciliation since the 2020 Himalayan standoff.
Prime Minister highlighted that both sides must be guided by three mutuals:
- Mutual respect
- Mutual sensitivity
- Mutual interest
Prime Minister emphasized that peace and tranquility in the border areas remain an essential basis for the continued development of bilateral relations.
China's Narrative of 'People-Centered Cooperation' and Its Pragmatic Foreign Policy
The two countries, however, still have an unresolved territorial dispute, with heavy military deployments along a roughly 3,500 km border. The persisting border dispute, China’s close strategic relationship, and military support for Pakistan, such as projects implemented by China in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), have made this bilateral relationship on hold, with deep mistrust and ongoing rivalry.
China illegally occupied more than 43,000 sq km of Indian territory in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, including Aksai Chin. “Also, there are Chinese projects in territories in Jammu and Kashmir that belong to India, and we object to that,” affirmed MEA Spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal.
After five years of Beijing’s 14th BRICS Summit themed "Foster High-Quality BRICS Partnership, Usher in a New Era for Global Development,” next year China will assert its position as the chair of the 19th BRICS Summit. The previous 14th BRICS Declaration promoted “international and regional peace and security, social and economic development, and preserve nature’s balance with people-centered international cooperation at its core”.
Contrary to Beijing’s stated narrative of 'people-centered international cooperation at its core,' China’s operational engagements and diplomatic conduct demonstrate a divergence between discourse and practice, a far more competitive geopolitical posture.
This dynamic manifests through persistent Sino-Indian frictions, a strategic rivalry with India, characterized by deep-seated territorial disputes, a robust strategic partnership with Pakistan, and policy initiatives widely conceptualized within the framework of containment or known as ‘String of Pearls’ maritime encirclement.
Growing Chinese influence in India’s backyard remains key points of friction. Shifting global power dynamics are reshaping the balance between these Asia’s powerhouses.
Who is Duty-Bound to Hear the Global South?
Whether it is the Third World countries or the Global South nations, both terms address the same meaning: it is the denomination for the developing world with middle to low-income countries. When the geopolitical region remains fragmented, it is exceptionally inflexible to find unanimity among nations in order to envisage the future of the Global South.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi captured the underlying issue precisely, stating the need to strengthen BRICS’ institutional mechanisms, reform global governance structures, and ensure that countries of the Global South move from being ‘rule-takers’ to ‘rule-shapers.’
Prime Minister Modi emphasized that BRICS will equip young diplomats and policymakers from the Global South nations with much-needed skills in high-stakes global politics, such as negotiation skills, practical training, as well as legal expertise, making sure the countries of the ‘Global South’ are ready to step on the global stage.
"The central discourse is no longer: who is supposed to listen to the voice of the Global South? yet rather who is obligated to listen to the determination of the Global South?"
Calling for a shift from consensus-building to measurable implementation, BRICS shall ensure that its decisions translate into tangible outcomes on the global stage, such as strong collaboration and cooperation. In the context of India-China relations, these powerful nations should immediately end the border disputes and Sino-Indian frictions within the broader Indo-Pacific in order to thrive in the new global order under Artificial Superintelligence.
In the end, a zero-sum game means victory for India over its territory and the rejoice of the BRICS. As the closing statement, again "we must strive to transform the Global South from a rule-taker into a rule-shaper,” remarked Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Bharat Mandapam.
BRICS stands for Brazil, Russia, India, China, and later on South Africa. It was formalized at the first meeting of BRIC Foreign Ministers on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York in 2006. Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia, and UAE became full members in January 2024. Three Southeast Asian countries joined the BRICS, such as Indonesia in 2025 as the member, with Malaysia and Vietnam as partner countries in 2024 and 2025 respectively.
Bringing together eleven major emerging markets and developing countries in the world, BRICS bears over 49.5% of the population and 40% of GDP, serving as a platform for consultation and cooperation on contemporary global political and economic issues.
The leaders of BRICS gather in New Delhi for the 18th BRICS Summit under the theme: “Building for Resilience, Innovation, Cooperation, and Sustainability”. Prime Minister Narendra Modi met President Xi Jinping on 12 September 2026. This is the expanded India-China bilateral relations since their last meeting in Tianjin in August 2025, giving India and China a high-profile in-person interaction to signal reconciliation since the 2020 Himalayan standoff.
Prime Minister highlighted that both sides must be guided by three mutuals:
- Mutual respect
- Mutual sensitivity
- Mutual interest
Prime Minister emphasized that peace and tranquility in the border areas remain an essential basis for the continued development of bilateral relations.
China's Narrative of 'People-Centered Cooperation' and Its Pragmatic Foreign Policy
The two countries, however, still have an unresolved territorial dispute, with heavy military deployments along a roughly 3,500 km border. The persisting border dispute, China’s close strategic relationship, and military support for Pakistan, such as projects implemented by China in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) as part of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC), have made this bilateral relationship on hold, with deep mistrust and ongoing rivalry.
China illegally occupied more than 43,000 sq km of Indian territory in the state of Jammu and Kashmir, including Aksai Chin. “Also, there are Chinese projects in territories in Jammu and Kashmir that belong to India, and we object to that,” affirmed MEA Spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal.
After five years of Beijing’s 14th BRICS Summit themed "Foster High-Quality BRICS Partnership, Usher in a New Era for Global Development,” next year China will assert its position as the chair of the 19th BRICS Summit. The previous 14th BRICS Declaration promoted “international and regional peace and security, social and economic development, and preserve nature’s balance with people-centered international cooperation at its core”.
Contrary to Beijing’s stated narrative of 'people-centered international cooperation at its core,' China’s operational engagements and diplomatic conduct demonstrate a divergence between discourse and practice, a far more competitive geopolitical posture.
This dynamic manifests through persistent Sino-Indian frictions, a strategic rivalry with India, characterized by deep-seated territorial disputes, a robust strategic partnership with Pakistan, and policy initiatives widely conceptualized within the framework of containment or known as ‘String of Pearls’ maritime encirclement.
Growing Chinese influence in India’s backyard remains key points of friction. Shifting global power dynamics are reshaping the balance between these Asia’s powerhouses.
Who is Duty-Bound to Hear the Global South?
Whether it is the Third World countries or the Global South nations, both terms address the same meaning: it is the denomination for the developing world with middle to low-income countries. When the geopolitical region remains fragmented, it is exceptionally inflexible to find unanimity among nations in order to envisage the future of the Global South.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi captured the underlying issue precisely, stating the need to strengthen BRICS’ institutional mechanisms, reform global governance structures, and ensure that countries of the Global South move from being ‘rule-takers’ to ‘rule-shapers.’
Prime Minister Modi emphasized that BRICS will equip young diplomats and policymakers from the Global South nations with much-needed skills in high-stakes global politics, such as negotiation skills, practical training, as well as legal expertise, making sure the countries of the ‘Global South’ are ready to step on the global stage.
"The central discourse is no longer: who is supposed to listen to the voice of the Global South? yet rather who is obligated to listen to the determination of the Global South?"
Calling for a shift from consensus-building to measurable implementation, BRICS shall ensure that its decisions translate into tangible outcomes on the global stage, such as strong collaboration and cooperation. In the context of India-China relations, these powerful nations should immediately end the border disputes and Sino-Indian frictions within the broader Indo-Pacific in order to thrive in the new global order under Artificial Superintelligence.
In the end, a zero-sum game means victory for India over its territory and the rejoice of the BRICS. As the closing statement, again "we must strive to transform the Global South from a rule-taker into a rule-shaper,” remarked Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Bharat Mandapam.
References:
BRICS 2026Central European Institute of Asian Studies (CEIAS)Hindustan TimesModern DiplomacyPress Information Bureau (PIB), Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India